WESTLOCK – After two years of being unable to hold an in-person annual general meeting due to COVID-19 restrictions, a record number turned out for the Westlock-based Wild Rose Rural Electrification Association April 19 at Memorial Hall.
Roughly 170 people attended the event, including customers, staff, directors, and award recipients, while the event kicked off with an address from Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken.
Board of Directors president Dave Hall outlined the various services and goals achieved over the past year, including many pole upgrades, vegetation removal and noted, “We all enjoy the benefits of having a successful, self-operated REA, because the alternatives are not very reliable or cost friendly.”
Wild Rose CEO Stuart Fox-Robinson gave his report, first introducing his staff on video and in person and noted the 76 years it’s been in operation and the positive impact that it continues to have on the community.
“After 76 years of rural power, it really is inconceivable to think of a life without electricity,” he said.
Fox-Robinson spoke of the work done by the REA to provide the best service possible to the customers, keeping rates as low as possible, while at the same time, continuing to upgrade the system through pole replacements.
He noted the combined savings to Wild Rose customers over the past decade are $15.25 million.
“That’s 15 and a quarter million dollars that’s stayed in our member’s pockets,” he said. “Over the same period, the association has put more than $65 million into the provincial economy. This helps ensure rural sustainability and stronger communities.”
While keeping rates as low as possible, the REA “will continue to see further investment in capital upgrades and improvements to the distribution system, increase our operational efficiency and system reliability.”
“We’ll continue to seek lower costs and increase performance wherever we can.”
Giving back
During the evening, 13 Rural Roots Awards of $500 each were handed out to the Westlock Flying Club, Westlock WECAN Food Basket Society, Clyde and District Agricultural Society, PACO Agriculture Society (Fawcett), Barrhead and District 4-H Council, Barrhead Rotary Music Festival, Highway 44 North Bus and Swim, Manola Community Cemetery, Dapp Community Council, Soul Sisters Memorial Foundation, Westlock and District 4-H Council, Friends of Westlock Elementary School and the Westlock Soccer Association.
In addition, seven $500 scholarships were presented to students who are or will be attending further education and included Ruby Kubinec (education), Shaye Wiese (arts), Erika Kerckhof (animal health), Heidi Huppertz (nursing), Erika Huppertz (respiratory therapy), Allison Huppertz (crop technology), and Payton Sonnenberg (environmental science).
There were also 10, 76th-anniversay awards, which were ticket draws for members for rebate on their next power bill, raffle prize draws and dozens of door prizes, which Stuart Fox-Robinson noted amounted to just under $9,000 in total value, all donated by local businesses and individuals. The raffle itself, at $5 per ticket, raised $2,500 for STARS Air Ambulance.
